A note on I Thessalonians 5:9-10

Compline is often my favorite of the daily offices. The Short Chapter for Monday is tantalizing:

God has destined us for acquiring salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us, that all of us, whether awake or asleep, together might live with him.

So what is this salvation? Is it for every body, or just the in crowd that Paul writes to. Does Paul describe the destiny that God intends for all people, is it possible that God intends more than Paul apprehended? Is his vision patient of a more universal application? Is it possible taht all are saved. How could anyone stand the thought that redemption is for the few rather than all.

On the other hand, my favorite antiphon in the entire Roman pslater occurs in the same office:

O Lord, Our God, unwearied is your love for us.

If we are really allowed to believe the text of the antiphon, then we must be able to hope that the redemption we celebrate in all Christian Liturgy must apply to all of god's children. Perhaps we must begin to posit a redemption beyond our parochial understanding of what redemption might entail. I feel confident in the hope that this means that redemption is destined for everyone, not merely offered to everyone.